I have a 14 year old rat terrier that I love dearly, and part of that love is being a responsible owner. He is under my supervision at all times when outside, and I let him off the leash only on the last block as we return from a walk and even then ONLY if nobody is around.

We have been walking and running most of his life and while he is still a terrier and acts like an idiot the first encounter with any dog I'm right there with the leash firmly attached and in most cases the dogs end up being friends.

so yes while I LOVE my dog, and I would be heart broken if anything like this happened to him, I also realize it's MY responsibility that he does not hurt anyone else human or animal, and by the same token I'm there to protect him if he needs help, which he actually needed once from an aggressive german shepperd and a totally ignorant owner.

As the owner of a 15 stone (210lb) St Bernard, with probably one of the most powerful bite forces of any dog, and a 10 stone (140lb) Pyrenean Mountain Dog (bred as pastoral guard dogs), who closely resembles a cross between a chainsaw and a woodchipper when she's angry, I wholeheartedly agree with the opinion that 100% of the responsibility is with the dog owner. However, there is also a great deal of irresponsible behaviour from other people towards dogs who are otherwise well controlled.

When walking Rosie & George, my wife and I tie a yellow ribbon to their lead (leash). This warning sign is becoming increasingly well known in England, and hopefully it will reach the point where everyone is educated as to its meaning.

Basically, it states "please don't approach my dog, as she/he may be old/ill/nervous/aggressive". The number of parents who allow their children to run up to dogs without asking permission or advice from the owner/walker is ridiculous.

Sorry, but if your child goes home with its head in a bag because you weren't responsible enough to check with me first, you're a retard.

I'm a dog owner, and have been all my life. So, I have some knowledge and experience with this kind of thing. Here is what I think:

1. It's the owner's responsibility to train his dog not to go after people in an aggressive way. Any dog can be trained to behave properly. Yes, training is expensive. If you can't afford it, don't own a dog.
2. It's the owner's responsibility to supervise his dog at all times. That means you know where your dog is, and what its doing. Sure, accidents happen, but that's no excuse.
3. People who are afraid of dogs should not work for UPS, FedEx, USPO, or have any other job that regularly brings them in contact with dogs. People like that have a responsibility to avoid other people's dogs, and to get psychological help.
4. Employers such as UPS have a responsibility to train their employees in specific methods for dealing with aggressive dogs. "Going back to the truck," simply doesn't get it.
5. The overwhelming number of dogs are not dangerous. But all dogs, unless trained otherwise, will act in a protective manner when strangers come onto their property. If a person can't tell the difference between a normally protective dog and a viciously aggressive dog, that person should get some training. Dogs are everywhere. Everyone needs to know how to deal with them.

Finally, a word about this particular incident. The UPS driver acted like an idiot. If he was actually afraid of the dog, the absolutely worst thing he could have done was bend down and extend his arm toward it as he did. If that dog had actually been a vicious animal, it would have torn his arm off. Even a small dog, given an open opportunity like that, could have ripped open a major artery and killed the guy.

"The sole cause of all human misery is the inability of people
to sit quietly in their rooms." - Blaise Pascal, 1670